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An interesting tidbit: The title term “Obscur” in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 hints at the somewhat obscure nature of the game's menus and mechanics.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has you leading a team of social media mages, led by the bold British Daredevil, on a mission to combat a universal phenomenon that stops people from growing old. It fuses turn-based RPG encounters with timed defensive moves inspired by Soulslike games, all wrapped in a idiosyncratic aesthetic language.

It has become one of the major games of the year, having sold millions and secured top honors recognition. The adventure can feel slightly intimidating at first, but after you grasp its systems, you’ll discover a layered and fascinating experience that is quite unique from other games. Below are ten crucial beginner's tips for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

Change Characters Often

In Expedition 33, party members who are active during a fight receive a hefty increase to experience relative to those in reserve. What's more, the story will periodically require you to include particular characters. The simplest method to these mechanics is to change your lineup frequently and strive to keep everyone at a comparable strength.

The positive aspect is that leveling up is not too tedious. Encounters grant a generous amount of XP, frequently enough for a character progression after just two or three. You can reset an area's enemies by taking a break at an save point—these points are placed in each area. If you need to power level, simply battle monsters near a flag, rest, and do it again.

Rotate Items Frequently

There are two main ways to bestow passive perks to your allies: Pictos and Lumina abilities.

• Pictos are accessories that give attribute increases and also feature a constant effect. Every party member can wear up to three Pictos. When equipped, finishing four encounters with a Picto unlocks its linked Lumina.
• Luminas aren’t physical items but are similar to unlocked abilities. Every ally has a amount of skill points (which can be increased via level-ups). Every Lumina ability has a required LP amount. Provided that a character has sufficient LP, there is no limit can equip the same skill, allowing you to stack useful effects across your entire team.

The most efficient tactic is to ensure one of your characters has equipped any new accessory and completes four battles to unlock its Lumina. That way you gain access for when needed.

When you aren't have new Pictos to work on, simply equip the Pictos with the highest bonuses for your playstyle.

Perfect Guards Are Not Your Sole Defense

Expedition 33’s key feature is its combination of turn-based combat with twitch-based defenses. That said, the parry window is notoriously tight on all difficulty levels. In place of frustrating yourself trying to land parries, prioritize rolling.

Although a successful parry restores one AP and deals significant bonus damage, failing to parry yields no benefit. Luckily there are a number of gear and skills that provide resources on a well-timed evade. If you find parrying difficult, focus on those evasion-based perks instead.

Breaking Enemies Is Your Greatest Advantage

Inflicting Break is a game-changing mechanic that can swing a fight. As you whittle down health, a gold meter charges below their health bar. When full, you can inflict break, which reduces their armor by a significant amount and stuns them for their next action. It is the single most powerful status effect in the game, but only specific abilities can apply it.

Build Characters With a Plan

You are able to re-spec attributes and skills using a limited consumable called a Recoat item. Because it's rare, it's smart to consider your path before committing your stat investments. Try out a hero's kit and map out a build strategy beforehand.

Make Sure to Rest At the Checkpoint Flag

Resting at an expedition flag completely restores your whole team and replenishes every potions, including HP restoratives and phoenix down equivalents. Remember to stop and heal up!

Checkpoints also serve as the primary method to quick traversal in the game. There is no traditional map, GPS, or objective markers. Instead, each flag has a designation. When you interact with one, you can access a log of all discovered flags in that level under a teleport list. It's a simple but effective way to navigate the world.

Glowing Cages Are Consistently Worth the Effort

Glowing chests are effectively puzzle caches that require you to locate and shoot three hidden locks in the immediate vicinity before claiming the prize. The reward is without fail valuable, including items like respec items or powerful weapons. The associated mechanisms aren't easy to spot, but they are usually located close by. If you are stuck, try breaking objects or looking up.

Go Ahead and, Fight the Vendor

Each shopkeeper carries a secret, unique item that isn't listed in their normal inventory. To gain access to it, you must select a party member and win a duel in a single combat. This is always rewarding, as these rewards are game-changing. The initial shopkeeper you meet, for example, offers a special accessory that causes the vulnerability status, which boosts damage against the target by a significant margin.

Trust In the Auto-Save System

The game lacks {manual saving